Techlines Today

Overnight Stays at the Border if Canada Copyright Law Passes

By Adam Myers ⋅ May 29, 2008 ⋅

The federal government is secretly negotiating an agreement to revamp international copyright laws which could make the information on Canadian iPods, laptop computers or other personal

electronic devices illegal and greatly increase the difficulty of traveling with such devices.

The deal could also impose strict regulations on Internet service providers, forcing those companies to hand over customer information without a court order.

Called the Anti-Counterfeiting Trade Agreement (ACTA), the new plan would see Canada join other countries, including the United States and members of the European Union, to form an international coalition against copyright infringement.

I don’t see how this will get very far. The Canadian economy is very much dependent on traffic flowing more or less smoothly across the border. Even that is ignoring the most immediate reaction, by what mechanism will copyright gestapo determine which material is illegal. As it is, all of my music is stored in digital form on my laptop and iPod. Should I be expected to carry receipts or other forms to verify my music was legally obtained? Maybe I should just care my CDs around. More so, it is often trumpeted how Canadians pay a levy on blank media that entitles them to make digital copies of music. Where does that fit in here?

I guess you should be leaving the iPod at home – travel with the Walkman, it’s hip and retro you know?